In a new report by the SA Institute for Race Relations (SAIRR), it is reported that the financial sectors contribution to the country’s GDP in 2008 was 22%, the manufacturing sector 19%, while government itself added 15%. Mining is at 9.5% and agriculture at 3.3%. The report confirms statistics from Statistics South Africa that shows that Gauteng now contributes 34% to the national GDP, with KZN at 17% and the Western Cape with 14.5%
Traditionally the manufacturing sector is the largest contributor but over the last decade this contribution is declining, while the business and financial services sector grows. If you think of it, South Africa has a really advanced knowledge intensive business sector, and strangely this sector is not recognised as a strategic asset by the government. This business and finance sector is closely related to manufacturing, as well as other financial services. Aside from this 1st class service sector, there is a whole consulting and NGO sector that has emerged to supply state-subsidised services to small enterprises. Unfortunately, the services of these service providers, nor the customers that they serve, are competitive. And because these services are often driven by templates and recipes, they are not knowledge-intensive. For small enterprises to take markets from larger competitors, or for local firms to excel in the region and globally, they need knowledge intensive services. Something that is expensive, but valuable. OK, I got a bit side tracked there!
The point is that the knowledge intensive inputs into manufacturing is increasing. This implies that South Africa is shifting from simple manufacturing (where few intermediary services are required) towards integrated or advanced manufacturing, where a lot of business service (or intermediary) inputs are required. My research earlier this year showed that some manufacturing enterprises in the electronics and metals sector are depending on more than 50 of their product value from contributions from specialised service providers. Wow!
So if you are working with manufacturing enterprises, wean them from wanting to use free or subsidised services and get them to engage with specialists. There is no other way to compete!